"We appreciate everyone who has waited patiently while we've worked to get every detail right," he continued.

Pricing information will be released at launch on the Apple website.

It isn't yet listed on the websites of any UK network operator but all of the main five - O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone and Three - are thought to be planning to offer the white iPhone 4.

Three has confirmed to Macworld that it will be stocking the white iPhone 4. "The iPhone 4 is available with Three on 24 month contracts starting from £25 a month or on The One Plan for £35 a month, including all-you-can-eat data, 2,000 any network minutes, 5,000 Three to Three minutes and 5,000 texts. You can also get your iPhone 4 on PAYG for £499.99 where a £15 top up will get you 300 minutes, 3,000 texts and all-you-can-eat data," a spokeswoman said.

O2 wrote on its blog: "Our tariffs will be the same as for the device's much-loved and well-established black cousin, starting from £21.50 per month on a 24 month contract with 100 minutes, 500 texts, 20 MMS, inclusive tethering and 500MB of data, and an upfront cost of £304.99."

T-Mobile, Orange and Vodafone had not released any comment at the time of writing.

There had been speculation last week that the white iPhone 4 was to launch before the Easter weekend.

Last week pricing and delivery information appeared briefly on network operator Three's site, only to be hastily removed. However, the PhoneItalia website had previously named the launch date as 26 April.

It is thought that number of manufacturing issues have held up the release of the white iPhone 4, which was supposed to launch alongside the black iPhone 4 in July 2010, including paint that peeled under extremes of heat.

Steve Wozniak also speculated that paint was part of the problem back in January, though Woz reckoned it was letting too much light in to the body of the phone, ruining photographs and videos captured by the device's camera.